Rates: from €200 per night
Added extras: the indoor pool and the Michelin-starred restaurant.
Services: wifi, restaurant, spa and pool
There’s some irony in the fact that one of the French capital’s most beautiful hotels is in Versailles. Established in 1910, Le Trianon’s reputation extends well beyond the surrounding region and it sits at the edge of the gardens of the Château de Versailles. It’s impossible to miss; you can see its imposing silhouette even before navigating the gravelled courtyard and its cluster of cars.
In 2007, after several facelifts, the hotel embarked on a massive redesign project with stylist Fiona Thompson at the helm. Integrating the classic structure and historical features with contemporary vibes, the past is certainly not betrayed. Think black and white checkered floors in the gallery, velvet furniture in tangy yellow, olive green and grey, Andromeda glass chandeliers and materials like dark wood and leather. It’s chic, elegant and super effective.
Expect the same style throughout the hotel, and all rooms boast original black marble fireplaces with upscale marble bathrooms. Some even have a view over the Château. Expect beauty everywhere in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, with head chef Frédéric Larquemin offering Michelin-starred cuisine.
And, as if that wasn’t enough already, there’s an enormous 18 by 10 metre pool, plus a 2800m2 Guerlain spa (with a hammam, sauna and treatment centre) and a fitness room spread over three floors in the basement. Don’t leave without breakfast on the glass roof, offering a glimpse of the sheep grazing on the lawns. There’s no denying it, just 20 kilometres out of Paris and you may as well be in another world.